1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an engine start control system having a fail-safe arrangement.
2. Description of the Related Art
A key-less engine start system for starting an engine of a vehicle has been adopted widely. In a system called “a smart push-start system”, an ID-verification for engine starting is conducted between a portable wireless transmitter-receiver and an on-vehicle transmitter-receiver. When the user having the portable transmitter-receiver gets in the vehicle and pushes a push button switch of the vehicle while the user is pressing the brake pedal by his or her foot, the engine is started.
JP-2004-324469A discloses such a system, in which the engine is not started even if the push button switch is pushed unless a user presses the brake pedal. For this purpose, a brake switch for turning on a brake lamp or a sensor for detecting turn-on of the brake lamp of the vehicle is used.
If such a brake switch, the sensor or its connecting wire breaks down, the engine is not started even if the push button switch is pushed while the brake pedal is being pressed. In the case that the brake pedal operation of the vehicle is assisted by a hydraulic booster, the brake switch or sensor may not function if the booster fails to assist the driver's pressing the brake pedal. Because the brake switch or sensor has been used only when the brake lamp is turning on, no particular countermeasure against the failure of the brake switch or sensor has been taken. That is, the brake switch or sensor may fail at a certain probability, so that the smart push-start system may not function very well.